Matt Jones clears anchoring concern to make great par at Sony Open

HONOLULU – Australian Matt Jones was getting attention last week after a record breaking 23 under weekend in Maui, but even a favorable ruling and resulting great par save in Honolulu wasn’t enough to get the two-time PGA TOUR winner to the weekend. Jones hit his approach shot on the par-4 8th hole at Waialae Country Club just above the lip of a greenside bunker in Friday’s second round of the Sony Open, forcing him into a strange stance with one foot in and one foot out of the sand. Scrambling to try to make the cut Jones faced a stance where his body dropped well below its usual position meaning the only way he could make a stroke was by gripping halfway down his 3-wood and creating a putting like motion. However, this meant the end of the club was running up Jones’ left arm, leaving the 2021 Honda Classic winner worried he might be accused of anchoring. “I had a stance that was very unconventional and I had to grip a long way down the shaft. I just wanted to check it wasn’t classified as anchoring because as we know anchoring is somewhat banned,” Jones explained after rounds of 70-68. Jones called in Senior Tournament Referee Stephen Cox for clarification and was given the all-clear by the veteran official. “It was very easy for Coxy to see I wasn’t trying to subvert any rules,” Jones added. “I was trying to play it kind of across my body. It was more running up my arm and in between arm and body but during the stroke it kind of got over to my left side so I just wanted to be sure before I did anything.” Cox spent a minute or so with Jones running through the scenario which coincidentally had happened over on the first green with Lucas Glover and another official earlier in the round and as such had been a point of discussion amongst the committee. “The awkward nature of Matt’s stance resulted in him gripping the club down the shaft and as a result the club was going to extend beyond the forearm and might touch the upper arm or the side of the body while making the stroke,” Cox added. “I felt that as he was not deliberately holding the club against a part of the body above the forearm it would not be considered anchoring. Any accidental contact during the stroke is not prohibited by the Rule.” Rule 10.1b. outlaws players using an anchor point for a stroke or from making deliberate contact with their clothing during a stroke. However inadvertent contact is specifically not a breach to ensure circumstances just like those Jones and Glover faced are not penalized. The Australian also mentioned some minor exposure of bunker lining in his discussion with Cox but it was of no consequence. “Matt also had questions relating the to the bunker liner which was not considered abnormal,” Cox confirmed. “As per PGA TOUR Local Rules, exposed bunker liners may be treated as ground under repair for lie of ball or area of intended swing but no relief is provided for stance.”

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